HR 1 - Any Given Sunday, Score and Score some More, Big Ballers

Tom and Chris break down the Steelers matchup against the Colts, talk about getting pressure on Daniel Jones, and hand out Big Ballers for the game

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You know, oftentimes in the NFL, you come across a
game that just seems like such a gross mismatch, one
team heading in one direction, the other team heading in
the polar opposite direction, and you just tell yourself, I
don't see a way Team B is possibly gonna be
able to hang with or upset Team A in this
football game. And then a little thing that I like

(00:27):
to call the NFL happens. And this tends to zig
a lot when you think it's gonna zag. And the
Steelers kind of need a little bit of that to
happen on Sunday because everywhere you look, people are favoring
the Indianapolis Colts, sometimes slightly, sometimes overwhelmingly when.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
It comes to this matchup on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Except for, as Bred Bunsterberger would say, our friends in
the desert, who like that's a weird line, Yes, who
have the line that like is almost like the trap
where it's like if I was an outsider and I
was like, ohill, the Colts have beaten blowing out everybody.
They're only favored by what less than a field goal.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Field goal like smells fishy, Yes, it does.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
It smells bad enough that you almost avoid what which
you always think is a funny.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
I wonder if our boys in the desert are a
little confused. I wonder if our.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Boys in the desert to think maybe some NFL can
happen on Sunday and something will be unexpected. Also, the
Steelers just to have such a track record when it
comes to being at home and bouncing back after losses
that you know, the trend is the trend, right, And
that's what those people out in the desert love to follow,
is those trends.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
But anyway, I was thinking about this last.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Night about how a boy, the Steelers really need to
get some of that NFL magic happening where it needs
to have that kind of any given Sunday feel where
it's like, how are they only down by a field
goal with two minutes left against the Colts. It's the
Colts the drug naut and Steelers look terrible, Steelers defensive
played great house is possible? They need a little bit
of that to happen. And I was thinking, why does
that happen so much? And if you really wanted to

(01:57):
explain it, I think these are just a bunch of
guys that have a lot of pride, a lot of
professional pride. And the NFL is the grandest stage in
all of sports in this country. And you go out
there and get your butt kicked. You're embarrassed, right, like,
not only locally people start talking about you, but nationally.
You gotta go up and see Stephen A. Smith be
like they off of rods, like and I'm talking about

(02:17):
every team here, not.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Just to say that like it, thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I'm talking about every team here, okay, all across the spectrum.
Like That's how the NFL is. It's an embarrassing game
when you go out there and you'd embarrassed the week before.
So I think that's why you see that happen where
oh my god, this team is a fifteen point favorite there,
this is going to be a blowout, and then you
look and it's like they only lost by one or
they actually pulled that upset off. Why Because they're professional

(02:42):
athletes too. They feel embarrassment, they have pride. They're getting
paid millions and millions of dollars. It's the guys are
in there just like, oh thank god, I got my paycheck.
I don't care anymore if we win or lose, Like, no,
they want to earn that now. They want to go
prove that they deserve that money, and then they want
to go make even more money on top of that.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
So I think the reason why.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
You see the quote unquote NFL happen and the any
given Sunday thing be such a thing is just because
these are all talented dudes that, yes might not be
on a team that is as good consistently as they'd
want to be. But any given Sunday, I mean they can,
you know, sack up, show some pride and go out
there and win a football game. I mean, it's the

(03:23):
only sport where it's really like you just beat the
man across from you, You just out muscle him, and
you win the game most likely. So I think the
Steelers are going to have a lot of that professional
pride on display on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
I think they're gonna be ready to punch.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Because you saw the captain after the game on Sunday
against the Packers say there's a lot of fight right now.
I don't think that other professionals in that locker room
really appreciate hearing that, as true as it may be
from their captain, and they're gonna want to respond in
the right way. This is the Steelers Blitz a Friday edition,
getting you ready for Steelers and Colts on Sunday. He's
Chris Sadamski and I'm Tom op form Intensity.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
I like it look Spock on the table.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
It's hard to see how they would stay in this game.
It's hard to see how they would pull this upset.
It's a bad mismatch. It's a bad mismatch for anybody
who's been playing the Colts this year. But your defense
is in a really bad spot right.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Now and their offense is a juggernaut.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
So it's tough to you know, find those analytical exce's
and o's like they'll do this, they'll do that.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
And they'll do this, and that'll be the key to victory.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
They need to just kind of, you know, sack up
for lack of a better term, and just go out
there and be bigger and badder men than those other
men lined up across from you in that cult blue
and white uniform.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
One thing. Mike Tomlin says a lot if you ask
him about the next man up thing, and I get
a lot of these things are cliches, but they're also
cliches for a reason. The next man up, the he
talks about the fine line between a Pro Bowl player,
a starter, a backup, a reserve, a guy who's cut,
guys in the practice squad. And that's true. You've got

(04:58):
to the level these are, whatever you want to say,
the percent the top zero point one percent of American
football players on a planet or in this on these
thirty two teams. So you're dealing with the ninety nine
point nine percent of versus the ninety nine point eight
percentile of football players, right, And there's there's something to
be said for that. How many times a year do
you see guys that are that we're undrafted free agents?

(05:20):
Make whatever it might be, right. Roberts Splaine was a backup,
got cut by the Titans, he ends up with the Steelers,
kind of just hangs on as a professional teamer. All
of a sudden, he's a long time multi year starter
as a captain. That's just one little, tiny example of
many many. I don't need to go through the examples.
Whatever it right. So it is true that even the
roster of the worst team to the best team, the
difference between that is not like the Big tens difference

(05:42):
between Ohio State and well maybe Penn State. Best. The
worst or whatever you want to say.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Thank you for being accurate.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
It's it's that could be a bloodbath tomorrow. But so
there's that aspect to it too. What everything you said
is right, But I also believe that is as quote
unquote bad as this team might be and that team
might be. And maybe the Titans really are that bad,
by the way, but they are and the Colts have
played them twice. Other way, if you're going to construct
an argument about this, it's like the Colts, well, they
beat up on the Raiders, they beat up on the

(06:09):
Titans twice. Like this is great, all these numbers they have,
But I mean, look at this Dolphins, Titans, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals.
It's not exactly as if, but I mean they also
are completely just again going back to how I began this,
the difference between the best teams and the worst team
isn't as great as again in college football, where you're
playing a team for the MAC or you're playing an
FCS team or whatever it might be. That you know,

(06:31):
even the Titans and the Saints and the Dolphins and
whoever are a capable unit of professionals. So you do
have that, and I mean again, I certainly understand it,
and I'm not trying to, you know, whatever, be too
much of a I don't know, homer or whatever here.
But the Steelers are still a first place team. They're

(06:51):
still a four and three team. They have a winning record. Okay,
the Colts have been blowing people out. The last two
games have not been good, certainly for the Dee, but
the Steelers also had a leading the fourth quarter or
both those games. Okay, they didn't get run out of
the building in either one of those games. That they
are not a dreg of the league here. Okay, this
is not like we're talking about the Pirates or whatever
playing the game. So now I would have probably made

(07:14):
the betting line a little bit farther. But at the
same time, would it be the biggest shock in the
world if the Steelers won this game. I don't think
it would. I mean that there's a point where but
you are sort of depending on things like the law
of averages that the Colts are due for a loss
that the Steelers I.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Was just gonna go to that. We'ld always like to
hit on that too. With the NFL.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
Like the NFL is such a league where like teams
just find their level, and like, remember when we were
talking about that Seahawks and Jacksonville game a couple of
weeks ago, and we were just like all we were
all over the Seahawks because we were like, they're not
as bad as what three and three would mean if
they lost, and the Jags aren't five and one, like yeah,
so you just kind of bet on that and then
finding their level. And this game kind of has a
little bit of that to it too, where it's like
the Colts aren't.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
Eight and one.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
I mean, they're good, don't get me wrong. I think
they're legitimate contender, but they're.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Seven and two.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
That seems to be more appropriate, don'tem they're going to be,
you know, running away with it eight and one, nine
and one, ten in one, like the the Chiefs from
last year, for God's sake. But the Steelers have a
little bit of that going to where yeah, things have
looked real bad for them and the defense hasn't looked good,
but you know, they're not four and four going on
four and five. Five and three probably feels about appropriate to.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
What they've been so far.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
And you gotta look at that offense too, because that's
part of the equation and that offense.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Has been good enough for the team to be five
and three.

Speaker 1 (08:27):
So yeah, there's a little bit of that, you know,
water finding its level aspect to these two teams in
this game too.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
Yeah, there is that, and I think even I still
believe and I mean, listen, they're thirtieth in the league,
so I would hope that they're better than this on paper.
But I don't think the Steelers defense these past two
games is as bad as they've shown these past two games.
Maybe I'm still if you're gonna make the argument there
as they are the third worst defense in the league,

(08:54):
and they are these last two games is a four
telling of the final, would it be a ten games
of the regular season, you would probably say, well, you
have a bunch of thirty year old guys who are
never going to be what they were three or four
years ago. I don't know. I guess you would say
Harmon is not as good as he's looked, and Camp
maybe they you have to really there's enough like I
got to go back there so much like track record
with these guys of not being as the collective being

(09:16):
as bad as it's been the past seven quarters of football.
So they still deserve somewhat of a benefit of the doubt,
I think, and I think that too bad game. You know,
there's a scenario out there in this world where you
look back and say, well, that was a really bad
stretch there for a little bit, and they start up.
But you know, now they beat the Colts, they turned
their season around, and all of a sudden they showed
they started being with you know, the defense came together.

(09:38):
Well that happened. I don't know, is this kind of
a it's crazy in some ways. I guess you could
well commit because I mean this is really getting like
almost cheesy coach to speak here. But it's an opportunity, right,
they get the best team in football here if they
win this game, all the bad vibes and everything the
national LEAs you beat them. The Colts, who have the
best reckor in the league are just roll league, which

(09:58):
is not a terrible ridiculously out of there's been much
bigger upsets by the points. There's been much much bigger
upsets this season than that. So it's not out and
all of a sudden then everything is fine again for
another week in Pittsburgh, which is the way the season goes.
And Frank quite frankly, how people like us make a
living or what? You know? That that that the the
overreaction underreaction to every single week. I'm not saying to

(10:19):
predict that. I'm just saying it's not it's a chance.
Like if they were playing the Titans this week, and
would you feel any better if they bought the Titans,
You'd be like, well, okay, they they're they're there. You know,
the defense played better. But Cleveland, Tennessee. You know I
would have seen it's a real team. Oh don't this team.
It's easier said than done to say, Okay, put out

(10:39):
a good, good performance, but uh, at least it's there.
And I think you're right. The prideful guys, the veteran
guys that have been around, it's been it's I still
know how to read. I feel like it's been a
loose locker room we've been in there overall. You know,
some of the comments and things that after the game
was was a little bit you wonder. You know today

(11:02):
we'll be talking soon here to Jayalen Ramsey and TJ.
Watt to see, you know, two of the leaders, two
with the more veteran to the more accomplished players and
defense kind of where their mindsets of everything after a
week of practice and roll the football out there Sunday, Tom.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
For any given Sunday.

Speaker 1 (11:18):
Chris, I'm no fool. Okay, I mean I kind of am,
but in this aspect, I am no fool. And I
don't think my partner, Chris, I don't think you're a
fool either. I don't think I don't think so. So
I really get that we just, you know, started about
how the Steers are going to beat the Colt Swift
well any given Sunday and Water finds its level. In
the NFL, those aren't the best two spots to be in.

(11:39):
When you're looking at a matchup.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
For a game. You gotta go out there and you
got to stop Jonathan Taylor.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
You gotta go out there, and you gotta sack Daniel Jones,
you gotta go out there, and you got to neutralize
Tyler Warren. And most importantly, I think you gotta go
out there and you got to score a lot of points.
And we'll get to that scoring a lot of points
aspect in the next segments. As I really see that
as the clear path to victory, the legitimate path to victory,
not the Alpucino.

Speaker 2 (12:04):
That's not as good as an impression I shouldn't have got.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
I shouldn't have gone into those you might over shut
your shop. I can only do that.

Speaker 2 (12:11):
That's the only thing I can do for him.

Speaker 1 (12:14):
So you know, you got to actually bring something to
the table that's concrete that you could actually say, yeah,
that'll tangibly get your victory.

Speaker 2 (12:20):
You know, get pressure on Daniel Jones.

Speaker 1 (12:22):
I mean, even if Danny Dimes is good in the
face of pressure, even if Danny Dimes can make some
plays in the face of your pressure, uh, just you
gotta be able to get a couple of sacks on him.

Speaker 2 (12:32):
You got to get more quarterback hits. You got to
get some paws on him.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
I mean, it's no secret that I think one of
the main reasons why you're seeing quarterbacks have so much
success against the Steelers defense in recent weeks is.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
Because they're just so comfortable back in that pocket. I mean,
I think the thing that.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Really separates the truly good to great NFL quarterbacks from
the ones that were good in college and then just
can't really get it in the NFL is that they
just can't handle that pressure. Everything's so much faster, the
ball's got to be out quicker, the windows are tighter,
and you've got freaking massive human beings that are faster
than anybody you've ever seen in your face within two

(13:11):
seconds pretty much almost every single snap.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
And you know that's just the big difference there.

Speaker 1 (13:16):
So anytime you give a quarterback at the bottom of
the spectrum to the top of the spectrum enough time
in the pocket, you know they're gonna do enough to
make you worry, make you think that they can beat you.
You know, Dylan Gabriel hasn't really looked that great, But
if he was able to sit back there against the
Steelers and pat the ball a few times and wait

(13:37):
for things to develop downfield and then maybe have some
easy scrambles, I mean, that game would have been a
little bit more interesting in that offense would have been
a lot more successful. But you created havoc around the rookie.
He got sacks six times. For God's sake, he had
he had nowhere to go with that football. He had
no time to look through his reads. So any level
of quarterback, once you get to the NFL, and no

(13:58):
matter how good or bad they are, you give them
enough time in that pocket, they're gonna make some place happen.
They just will. Now, maybe the worst ones won't make
as many plays, but you're still running the risk that
they hit a deep ball there or a nice completion
here to move the chains and extended drives that they
end up getting points on.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
So pressure has just gotta be ratcheted up.

Speaker 1 (14:19):
And for a team that is really built on getting
after the quarterback and that's supposed to be their identity,
for it to be as dry as it was the
previous two weeks, Flacco getting sacked a couple of times,
but they were just so inconsequential.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
I guess the Watt sack was kind of big in
the second half, but the other one was Benton.

Speaker 1 (14:37):
On the first drive and then Flacco turned back around
and got a first down a play later after that.
So just inconsequential. And no pressure other than that on
Flacco in that game. And then Love, you know, there
were times where Love was facing pressure Chris, but he
was just fantastic against it. He threw for like two
hundred yards. He threw for all three of his touchdowns
against the Blitz. Now, one of them was that heave

(14:57):
ho to Tucker Craft, which was a lot of luck involved,
but still accounts to completed it and accounts for the
stat sheet. So you know, Love was good when he
faced the pressure and then Love never got sacked. I
mean to just go through a game against that Steelers
defense and come away with your jersey being clean, I
mean that is quite frankly unacceptable for how that defense
is built.

Speaker 3 (15:18):
Yeah, and you wonder you talk about it. Stuck with
me a lot. Matt Williamson talking about the nest for
a quarterback and we have we've talked to a nauseum
about Daniel Jones and is he for real? And why
is he playing like an MVP production this season after
bombing out with the Giants and he the sacks level,
the sack raid is the third fewest in the NFL

(15:40):
for the Colts. They've allowed the second fewest sacks in
the NFL, only nine sacks in eight games they've allowed
if you go to even some of the metrics and
their fourth best and pass pluck raiding and things like that.
So there's a reason why. That's one of the reasons why.
The offensive line, as we know, and the run block
offensive line, when you combine with that running back, is
a big reason why the Colts are where they are

(16:01):
right now offensively and their overall record, and yeah, that's
what the Steeler. It's funny like I was looking up
some of the trying to find out where how how
far the Steelers have fallen maybe in some of their
and and you know who knows everything, because look that
in PFF the Steelers are fourth and pass rush as
a team. But then you go to the and then

(16:21):
and they're actually what second in ESPN's pass rush win
Right now, they're not getting product. This goes back to
the Miles Garrett thing three years ago when he won
Defensive Player of the Year over TJ Watt without the production.
But it was like, well he was getting he was
beating his man, but he wouldn't finish it, like it's
a saint. Like that doesn't do any good, right, I mean,
the Steelers could say, oh, we got press however grade us,
we got graded high and we got pressures apparently on

(16:42):
Jordan Lowell. But you didn't, I don't I don't know
if you did. You didn't alter his throws, and you
obviously didn't bring him down any point in the matter.
And there's one thing you don't have to ness as
they get a sack. I mean, obviously the Steelers are
the best in the league at batting down balls and
tipping passes, and you know.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
What else, Matt Williamson's pointed out, they're really close to
being the best of the league. It almost got your sacks,
you know what I mean, like almost Scotcha's like they're
right around the quarterback, like my.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Hands on Chris's shoulder right now, like they're just touching
the shoulder.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
But the balls just out, you know what I'm saying,
So they're they're sniffing. I mean, they're there, they're just
an another tenth of a second. Who knows how that
game end is probably the same way because the second
half didn't seem like it mattered. But the big tougher
Tucker Craft, one of the big Tucker Craft catches. That
was a perfect yes, almost gotcha. And if that they
do get them there, obviously you subtract the fifty nine

(17:27):
yards you've had, subtract twelve more yards or whatever it
would have been for the sack and then a fourth
down punt. I don't know if the game would have
been different, but that was a major turning point in
the game. I mean, I bet you if you did
the win probability chart, that was probably the biggest play
of the game, especially if you factory it could have
been a sack and lost yardage out of it in
terms of the biggest play of the game in terms
of changing the win outcome. So that's just one example,

(17:48):
but that goes and I hate to keep hammering that,
but that's what it makes me annoy the Yes, Miles
Garrett whatever that year, he had the pressures, but he
wasn't getting the sack. You're not affecting the game if
you don't get the sack for batting it down or
what your If you can hurry a quarter back to
I get it. There's a lot of things you can do.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
But unfortunately the almost gotches only count for him apparently awards.

Speaker 3 (18:05):
But that with that play was a perfect example where
the almost got you of Jordan Love and it's a
big play down the field whenever you didn't get them
and you know you didn't order to play in any
way that you know, maybe you the quarterback being good
enough to be able to deal with that pressure is
part of it too, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Maybe I should suggest something, should I please do play
at her Big. I mean, he's a pass rusher. Maybe
put him on the field.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
He's the best pass rusher. Again, going back to what
we I partially go and mock some of these things
or whatever. But Nick her Big leads the NFL and
ESPN's pass rush win rate, and you know he's been
up there in the rankings and PFF's stats for pass
rushing too. And we see it with our eyes, right,
I mean, it's it's pretty obvious every time he's in
the game that you notice when Nick her BIG's out there,

(18:51):
when he's in a pass rush race.

Speaker 1 (18:53):
So you need to get pressure on quarterbacks, get the
guy who's the best at it on the field. I
don't think that's such a far fetched suggestion from myself.
When Chris and I come back, we are going to
talk about the offense. We're gonna talk about scoring and
keeping pace with Danny Dimes and that Colt's offense.

Speaker 2 (19:12):
He's Christi Dampskamp Tom up for it.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
It's the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio, part of
the Steelers Audio Network.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Boy, that Indianapolis offense is a machine.

Speaker 1 (19:28):
You know, you watch some of the tape from the
year and they just score and score and score and
score some more. I mean, do you remember Chris at
the beginning of the season when they went two games
in a row without punting the football, and then they
went into their third game a decent bit without punting it,
and I was like, are they ever going to punt?
Rigoberto Sanchez? Their punter was stealing money for the first

(19:50):
couple of weeks. He did nothing out there. They have
been starting with that, like, that was great at show
on Turfy, like the Rams back with Fulk and Warner,
like they never punted, and ever since then they've been
kind of greatest show on Turfy and like and that's
kind of like just the you know offense that you
always go back to and compare offenses too because they

(20:10):
have the brand name and stuff like that. It's kind
of like, you know, the eighty five bear steel curtain defense,
but on the offensive side of the ball. I think
the Ravens offense last year was great his show on Turfy,
I mean Bill's offense, you know what I mean, Like,
it's the Lions offense has that, but.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
It's surprising to see it from the Colts.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
Yeah, and that that's that's why that's the perfect because
there's not You cannot describe anybody who was not old
enough for alive. At the time, the Rams were like
the Browns in the nineties, like they were like considered
like the.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
Joke of the league, Saint Louis.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
Yeah, And so they went on and made this splash hiring.
For me, it would be like, I don't even I
was a coach that retired like twelve years ago and
does like TV now or something like think For me,
it was just the TV guy. My whole life like
little fifteen years may wear life at that point. And
he coached the Eagles way back before I guess that
was alive but whatever, Like they won, they win the Super.

Speaker 1 (20:55):
Bowl, lost the Super Bowl, yeah, and won the NFC
and all of a sudden that be like Rex Ryan
come back right now, right or something like that.

Speaker 3 (21:01):
Yeah, something like that. So they do that and then
they high and they signed Trent Green, which is like
this nice little backup ish guy who mean, it's a ceiling.
And then Trent Green gets hurt and like, oh, there
goes the typical Rams like it's gonna be a joke again.
And then this guy Kurt Wonner, who know one had
heard of that you know that has been movies and stuff.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
You all know it, but better I've seen American Underdog.
It's a great movie. Yeah, I actually do love it.
It's such a good, cheesy, like corny sportsman.

Speaker 3 (21:26):
Like if we think Daniel Jones is like a surprise, like,
I mean, there will never be another situation like that.

Speaker 2 (21:31):
Danny Damsel wasn't stocking shouts.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
At the grocery, and not only that from where he
came from. But immediately that first game, they're like five
touchdown passes and it's like, Okay, that's nice, cute little story.
Week one, week two, week three. All of a sudden,
it's like six weeks in you're like they're actually really
really really really maybe the best offense, one of the
best offices of all time.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
And then they win the Super Bowl. Yes, in that
very first year.

Speaker 3 (21:53):
Yeah, after they had been like whatever they were four
and twelve a year before or whatever.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
So I'm not saying that the Colts are going to
go that far and win the Super Bowl again. And
they need a quarterback that has more down on his
luck than Danny Dimes was for that to truly you know,
fit into destiny. But they are definitely a contender right now.
I mean the way that they have played to this
point in the season as we're entering Week nine, they
they are without question one of the best teams in football.

(22:18):
You can't argue against it. It is an offensive league.
Those are the teams that are usually at the top
of the food chain. Now, you need good defense, like
the Chiefs have a great defense on top of their
offense playing really well right now. Last year, the Eagles defense,
I mean, their headline stealing side of the ball was
the offense obviously with Barkley and Hurts and the toush
push and all that, but the Eagles had one of

(22:38):
the best defenses in football too. So it's still a
necessary component to a championship team. You need both sides
of the ball if you're gonna win championships. But you
really need that offense that in the current times like
you need to have that juggernaut we can score at
will kind of offense.

Speaker 2 (22:53):
And ain't been nobody better than the Colts this year.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
They're the only team in the NFL Chris to at
least score twenty points in every single game.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
It is well because you brought that up and at
the time, again I was still on kind of like
joke mode, like that's kind of cute. The of all
teams not to have a punt, the Colts like, well
the odds to that. I mean, what a quirky little
thing to start the season with. I mean, there's like
average team with this like career backup, you know, a
backup quarterback all of a sudden, like they'll find their level,
you know, at the time, and then again it's not

(23:25):
the level of the Rams. I have a reference from
nineteen ninety nine. But it's like, Okay, at some point
you're like, oh, these these cults are for real. This
offense is for real. You see it. And it was
like for for three or four years there, and I
guess it was partially the quarterback situation sort of navigating
and they tried went they went through all those veterans
in a row from from Well, they Dacobe Brissette, and

(23:45):
then they went to Philip Rivers for the one year,
and then Carson Wentz for one year, Matt Ryan for
one year, and then you draft Richardson. Flacco's there and
trying to figure it all out. And you always looked
at and they for a while there they had they
had some good. They had a good front seven those years.
The offensive line was supposed to be the best in football,
and maybe it was there for a little bit, and

(24:05):
it's kind of like, well, Okay, this isn't working. Maybe
we're overrating the rest of the roster. I don't know.
The quarterback play can't be that bad. I mean, Jonathan
Taylor got hurt that it was part of it, and
we're Trey Sermon on the Steelers roster had a big
game when Taylor was hurt against the Steelers three years ago.
But if you have the ingredients for it now around
the rest of it. And Steichen has always had that
reputation of being a good offensive mind. That's how he

(24:28):
got the job as a head coach. And now Daniel
Jones is playing like that and you got to kind
of obviously at this point, it's not it's half the season, right,
I mean, it's it's not a quirk anymore. It's not
just a little stretch they're going through, and if they
stay healthy, they are going to be an issue for
throughout the AFC playoffs at this point, right, it's not

(24:48):
just a I don't think they're the well because the
inevitability of the Kansessey Chiefs is still as you always
like to point out, and play in the AFC. But
I don't know if they're still the favorite in the
cor diference. But they have everything on offense we went
through we went through yesterday. The skill position guys, the
best I guess the best. You say, the best tight

(25:09):
end football. I don't know if you can say they
games into his career.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
But if we're gonna go by receiving yards production wise,
I guess that's end so far Kelsey.

Speaker 1 (25:16):
Second, how about that sneaking up their second leading tight
ends so a rookie, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
Yeah, it's kind of crazy, Yeah, but I guess that's Uh.
I wonder if they'll have an Uncle Bull for tight ends.
Who's that's the second oldest tight end if I guess,
doesn't do the same thing as quarterback. So though Kelsey's
high profile enough that but old Kittle's not that older.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
Kittle and Andrews are kind of in the same like
kind of breath as Kelsey in my mind, but that
Kelsey's older than both of them.

Speaker 3 (25:40):
Yeah, probably earlier.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Plus we talked about earlier. The baton has been pasted, Chris.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
It's now a Tyler, Warren, Tucker Craft, brock Bauers League
and sprinkling a little train McBride on top of that too,
sprinkle it's a foursome now instead of the trio.

Speaker 2 (25:54):
Well, that's what we upgrade, right, we the evolution of
it now and I.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
Keep one of the explorer more and I say, this
is the kind of the year of the tight end
or there's it's been trending this way in the NFL
over the past three or four years. More and more
tight end usage, more and more tight end production, receiving
game more two tight in sets, three tight in sets,
even four tight end sets, more than we saw two
or three four years ago. And it's the ab and
flow of the league or whatever. But it is kind
of the potentials here with that forsome sustains this for

(26:23):
a couple of years, and with Kelsey still and killed
will still be in there, and the older guys still
being uh uh. Jack Ferguson is up there too, kind
of out of nowhere as a as the most pronunce
might be the function of the Cowboys. Happened to do
a track meet every game they play.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
That's part of it, I'm sure, But every Cowboys player
on offense is up there as far as their stats
are concerned. Who thought that Javonte Williams would be like
the fourth leading rusher in the NFL this year. They
were supposed to stuck it running the ball, yeah, and
he was supposed to be supposed to be nobody.

Speaker 3 (26:51):
Yeah, And so that but that, But it's kind of
a MENI golden age of title. We'll see if it's
stayed how long it is, but especially this season in particular,
And it looks like a lot of these guys are young,
like you said, and it seemed like the independulum might
swing back in three or four seasons whatever, a couple
of seasons. But right now, I mean, Arthur smith Hey
fits right into it. The tight end, uh, mister Titan himself.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
Great transition partner.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
Are the Steelers going to tap into some of that
golden age with their tight ends against the Colts because
they need to tap into the tight ends. They need
to tap into DK Metcalf, They need to tap into
Jalen Warren and Kenny g out of the backfield. They
need to tap into Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson as
secondary and third options in the passing game.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
As far as the receiving.

Speaker 1 (27:30):
Room is concerned, I'll take a Ben Scaronic if he
wants to throw his hat in the ring as well.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
They need everything, Chris. They need to score and score
and score some more.

Speaker 1 (27:40):
That's the strategy against the Colts, but that's also the
strategy moving forward.

Speaker 2 (27:45):
When you go to La against the Chargers, try it
out score them.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Bengals come back to town for the second leg of
that series of the season, try to out score them.
Go to Chicago for Monday Night football, try it out
score them. That should be your MOO. Now, you should
be trying to score more points than the other team.
You should be fully embracing philosophically that your team is
an offensive team now and that you need to get

(28:09):
to where you want to go on the back of
your offense. And maybe the defense pleasantly surprise you and
starts to come along as the season goes long on.
I don't know how that happens with an older defense,
but maybe it happens and they just start playing better
and you start to figure some things out on that
side of the ball, and that's great. It'll catch up
to the offense, and then I'll make it even better
of a team and even more of a threat. But
it's got to get done on the offense, not just

(28:31):
with this specific matchup. This is moving forward for the season,
but then also for this matchup. I mean, you're placing
the number one offense in football. You better get ready
to get y up or else you're gonna be left
in the dust.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
I wonder my first instinct is to say it's not
part of the because those things matter the I hate
the words and the terms include culture and DNA and
things like that. But it's true that both Mike Tomlin
in particular and the Steelers in general you talked about
it's been a defensive team at least identifies with defense

(29:03):
more over the past five decades now, right, and generally
more Hall of famers and things like that on the
defensive side of the ball. And people think are smash
mouth and all the you know, the grass and playing
outdoors and all that stuff. Also in a northern city
lend itself to more of a defensive team. But there
were times I remember in the ben era where I think,
and it's funny because yes times of yesterday ye would

(29:27):
almost go I don't say, go rogue, but he was
like he knew the offense needed to do it. I
remember they do like the no huddle early in the
game and the hurry up and like I'm calling the
plays and we're marching on the field because we know
we need to score it. I think he sensed almost
the point where we can't trust the defense right now.
And I'm listen one thing about Rogers, and I don't
I don't mean this as a criticism, but he's his

(29:47):
own man, and you know, I think he probably senses
that too, and he knows. I don't say, girl going
rogues going too far with it. I don't want to
say that he's not gonna turn off the headset and
calls play. I'm not saying that, but I think that
there he has to know watching the defense too, right.
He has to know that he has to take more chances.
He has to know. And that just Rodgers and I'm

(30:09):
sure Arthur Smith danced around the question and things and
didn't really say that. And of course they're not gonna stay.
They're not going to come out and say, ah, we
know our we know the other side of the ball
isn't doing its job, so we have to al through
how we do things because you know they're not going
to do that. Of course they're not, but it's it
would be they're active duty to not do that, right,
And Arthur Smith is not dumb, and Aaron Rodgers is
not dumb. And I think we'll definitely see some more

(30:31):
of that. I'll be curious to see if there is any,
because you still need the scenarios where where there is
a fourth and one at the thirty three or something
like that, or if the Steelers do go for it
more often that type of aggressiveness too. That's something that
it's crazy. Only four or fourth down attempts all season,
and three of them were just like you're down the
fourth quarter late and it's just obvious, right, there's no

(30:51):
no choice. And the fourth one was that one where
even that showed a level of conservatism because it was
fourth and goal from the three in Dublin and they
ran the ball. I remember that if the first treat
remember that. So those are the four to fourth down
attempts to see Lers have this season. The one was
called back because a touchbost that was the third or
fourth down when the penalty the false start, I think
it was a fourth down. I think so too. But
that doesn't in the book, it doesn't count because it
was they eventually punted in. But you get the idea that,

(31:14):
so the the aggressiveness or the reliance in the offense,
there's many tentacles to that in terms of how you
exhibit that. Do you throw it on the field more,
do you take more chances? Do you then the other
side of it is I don't know, like maybe it's
still like I don't respect the Colts because there's still
the Colts are Daniel Jones. But I've heard this thrown

(31:35):
out there that run the ball, take as much of
the clock as you can on every play, almost to
kind of shorten the game other words, But I just
feel like you need to be more. You need to
go out and win the game. I don't know. I
don't think I think you can respect the Colts at
the same time and say, you know what, We're not
gonna sit here and say we're going to do the

(31:55):
total like four corners basketball version of it, you know,
and something like that, we can't beat these guys.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Yeah, no, you gotta have an element of that. Though
you got to possess the ball in the game. You
do want to keep their offense off the field. But
it's not like to what you're saying, where it's like
take up ten minutes of time and then kick a
field goal, and then take up another ten minutes of
time and then kick a field goal. Like now you
gotta score, like you gotta get to the thirties. In
this game, the Colts get to the thirties. They have
been to the thirties and I think it's like five

(32:21):
of their eight games and then one more they were
at twenty nine against the Broncos. So it's like, oh great,
like so that they are scoring twenty in every game
at least they're the only team to do that. But
then they're almost getting to thirty. They've been to thirty
every game but two six of.

Speaker 2 (32:35):
The eight games, six of the eight games, and the
other one was twenty nine.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Yeah, twenty nine, and they're twenty when they only lost
the twenty seven to twenty. So yeah, that's uh, that's show.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
So you've got to get to thirty. That that is
what the goal should be is getting to thirty. You're
gonna have to pass the ball a lot to get
to thirty. You're gonna have to get DK involved downfield.
You're gonna have to trust that offensive line a little
bit more. Chris, You're gonna have to let Rogers push it.
You're gonna have to use the middle of the field
fifteen twenty yards down. That is how you're going to
have to beat the Colts. Colts defense isn't bad, but

(33:04):
it's not a juggernaut. You face the better defense in
the Packers last week than the Colts defense this week,
So you are the best way to get the better
of the Colts is to get the better of their defense.
That's the side of the ball that is I don't
want to say vulnerable, but in terms of the context
of them specifically, that's their vulnerable side. It's not Dallas

(33:26):
Cowboy bad or Cincinnati Bengal bad. I'm not going to
say the other team that's kind of down there with them.
But you get my drift right, Like, it's like average
as far as the defense is concerned.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
So you got to attack it.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
You gotta beat them in the offensive game on the
offensive side of the ball. And I want to see
them run the ball successfully too, because they've really turned
the ball, turn the corner running the football, and I
saw Arthur Smith talk to you guys yesterday, and he
didn't want to tip his hand when it came to
that jumbo package.

Speaker 2 (33:56):
We'll let the Colts figure that one out.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
Do you still get the sense so that that's going
to be a part of the offense, because whether you
argue that it's archaic and it's modern football and if
that can be good teams or not, that has become
kind of the identity of the Steelers offense and a
matchup problem for other teams that they have to when
they specifically get to the Steelers are like, Okay, we're
playing Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
We got to deal with that.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
Jumpbo package now and them running the football out of it.
Does Calvin Anderson just jump right in, like what do
you what's your what's your spider sense partner?

Speaker 3 (34:25):
Yeah, I think it'll still be there. I think it'll
just be I don't say seamless, but.

Speaker 2 (34:29):
It's too good to just say nap because of see
them all of injury.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah, and I think that Spencer Anderson, I guess if
you and I think they believe in him to play
google enough at left guard, that that would be if
you feel like you're downgrading yourself enough on the offensive
line and left now, I guess you could make the
case then you run the jump up backage more because
you need more blockers. But I would think then you
almost need to change your philosophy. And you're right. I
don't think that that has hindered necessarily running that. You know,

(34:55):
the Steelers, we've seen more as much as that was
a storyline. And still the season numbers in terms of
Roger throwing downfield and throwing shallow and holding on the
ball not very long, getting rid of it quickly. That's
evolving throughout the season. The last couple of games here,
and part of that was of necessity where they had
to keep up and in a high scoring game, so
they had to kind of be a little more aggressive.

(35:15):
I get it. But they also showed they could do
it and it didn't fall on their face. It didn't
have to. It wasn't as if Rogers were getting killed
out there. And I think Rogers' mobility has kind of
maybe helped add some too. But in other words, you
would think that the Jumbel package signifies, you know what
we're going out there at the full back, this is
this is clouds of dust, things like that, But it
hasn't really been that, you know, I don't like if

(35:35):
you told me that in August or whatever, or just
a generic team like, oh boy, this is a what
are we doing with that? But don't I don't get
the sense watching the Steelers offense when they've had that
they've run that quarter of the plays some of these games,
or more even to it some of these games, and
I don't feel like that the Steelers offense was just

(35:56):
like three hours at a time, you know, three yards here,
four yards that it's it. We're not going to push
any thing down and field. We're not going to throw
the ball at all. We're not gonna use it us
of any of our guys. And especially, like I said,
the last couple of weeks, it's been more of a
I say, down the field and more intermediate least and
even someone down the Philliptine Roman Wilson catches were both down.

(36:16):
The touchdown was over, you know, far enough down the field.

Speaker 1 (36:19):
And of course everything's kind of progressing with the offense.
The offensive line is getting better. Everyone their running game
is turning that corner. As you're just illustrating now, they
are starting to kind of dip their toe in that water.
If let's push the ball downfield a little bit more.

Speaker 3 (36:32):
And that's what you know, this get adequate defense, just
the average defense. You could be really cooking with gas
right now, you know. I also do wonder if, like
I said, the last couple of weeks, even look at
the time to throw the how far they're throwing down
the field attempts, you know, beyond ten yards, beyond twenty
or things like that. That that is also an indirect

(36:53):
function though, of the defense struggling, because again, the Steelers
offense knew what it had to score and had to
score quickly and had to score points. So but in ways,
it's good to see you have that tool bag right
and offensively as much as they lost these last two games,
and you can nitpick here and there, and they weren't.
They weren't scoring every single their seers aren't going every
possession like the other team did this past Sunday in

(37:14):
the second half. But I don't have any problems over
the I you have to feel good about where the
offense is, the offensive line is, where the running game is.
You have a lot of options you talked about you
can run the ball. Yeah, I feel confident right now.
If that's the game plan that the Steelers can pull
that off. I feel like if they they wanted to
get a push it down the field a little bit more.
We've seen big plays run. I mean, that's something I
didn't think i'd see. I mean, we know Calvin Ozen

(37:35):
can make big plays down the field. We know DK
metcal can make me play. We saw Pad Fryer, and
you make a big play down the field, you have
John new Smith hasn't really done that for the Steelers yet,
but he has that. We certainly saw that in years past,
and he made the Pro Bowl last year because you
can make plays down the field and that's what he
was sort of during camp and things like that leading
into the season. That's what they envisioned out of him.
So there's a there's no shortage of playmakers right now

(37:58):
on offense that I feel comfortable that, Yeah, they I
feel comfortable. I mean, when's the last time I put
this way? Tom, you said the Steelers need to get
thirty points or they should have that mind you to
get at thirty points. I don't know when's the last
time I felt like that was a real, comfortably realistic goal.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
Yeah, we're not far fetched. Same, Yeah, Yeah, you can
actually there were a few years were like thirty points.

Speaker 2 (38:17):
Well, good luck with that in your dreams, buddy, But no,
not this year.

Speaker 1 (38:21):
When Chris and I come back, we will sign our
big ballers for Steelers at Steelers at Steelers and Colts,
and we'll also jump on the college couch briefly in
preview what's going on in the college ranks this weekend.

Speaker 2 (38:33):
He's christ Damski, I'm tom out from it.

Speaker 1 (38:35):
It's the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio, a part
of the Steelers Audio Network. Steelers and Colts Sunday at
Acressure Stadium.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
This is the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Radio.

Speaker 3 (38:50):
Best team in football coming to Pittsburgh, it is.

Speaker 2 (38:52):
It's a massive game.

Speaker 3 (38:54):
Excited. How do you get fired on? Fired up and
speaking out to the to the words and the stunds
waves to go out in the world.

Speaker 1 (39:02):
And I can't think of a better way to get
even more fired out than just giving out some big ballers.
So let's identify who's gonna have some big games for
the Steelers against the Colts. My big baller on the
offensive side of the ball is going to be DK Metcalf.
But then it's also going to be Aaron Rodgers. I
want the DK and Rodgers connection to look like prime
AB and Ben in this one. I want twenty targets.

(39:24):
I want the Jamar Chase game. Wow, that's dramatic, but
I do want ten targets. I do want eleven targets.
I want seven catches. I want a buck twenty five.
I want two touchdowns. DK's been fine. Thirty million dollars
should buy you more than just fine. I need him
to go out there and have a game breaking performance.
I need him to go out there and pretend like
he's a dog peeing on a hydrant in the end

(39:47):
zone like he did in the Egg Bowl a few
years ago.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
I forget on old Miss. That's what I need.

Speaker 2 (39:53):
I need that DCA Miss game. He played for a Miss,
That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
I think he p no, he was on all mixed
and he was peeing in the end zone on some
fake hydrant.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
I need that.

Speaker 1 (40:07):
Give me that DK because you gotta score points, and
he's your best bet to score a lot of points.

Speaker 3 (40:12):
If he gets twenty targets and scores multiple touchdowns, and
he does that, I think will be a gofund me
in Pittsburgh to pay the NFL. Fine, that probably results fine.
I mean it might be. Yeah, I don't know, boring,
I get it, you know, but I had to do
Aaron Rodgers too. It's just like what we just talked
about the last segment that it was he if you're

(40:33):
going to I think the rubicont has happened. This is
now an offensive team. You're going to win games by
outscoring people. It's there. It's not a far fetched crazy scenario.
The way Rogers is playing, the way the offense is playing.
I think he knows that. He senses that. I think
he whatever. You know, we talked about having one of

(40:54):
the best interception percentage of all time and things like
that and how he in some ways, but he's just
been that accurate. Is a big reason why what I'm
saying is I think he is ready to put on
the cape and put the Steelers on his back. If
the old cowboy still has it in him for a game,
I think he wants to go out. And he's already
had two four touchdown pass games, so it's not like
he hasn't had a big breakout game as it is
this season for the Steelers. But I mean, maybe you know,

(41:16):
three hundred and fifty yards or something like that. Really
one of those type of games.

Speaker 1 (41:21):
All right, big baller on defense, I'm gonna go with
the new guy today. I'm gonna go with Kyle Duggar.
I think he'll play more than a lot of new
guys would play just getting acquired before this week, because
I think it's gonna be a lot of Hey, just
go tackle Jonathan Taylor please. So I think you're gonna
see Dodugger coming to the box a lot, gonna help
and run support, kind of just trial by fire him.
And honestly, you've had such a problem with communication and

(41:44):
your back end as far as coverage is concerned, that
how much worse can it get with a new guy.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
Being thrown in there.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
Maybe it'll in some weird way get better with him
back there, who knows, But I wouldn't be worried too much.
My point being is that, you know, don't worry about
him nuking all of your communication, all your average stuff,
because that ain't exactly been great anyway. And keep him
off the field from an aspect where he can absolutely help,
which is stopping the run and helping in Taylor.

Speaker 2 (42:08):
Yeah, I'm helping him Warren too, and you might be
writing that.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
I go back and forth on that. I initially when
I went, and you know, I spend just like I
spent hours and hours writing those quids. I go and
I dig deep and I get in there and I
really do look at all the stats and the numbers,
all those seeds and everything, and I'd initially settled on
I was real excited to go to real Peppers. I'm like,
you know what, people looking at Dugger, but you know
it's gonna be a Peppers game. But then Eve's limited

(42:32):
a practice Thursdays, so you know, I don't want to
go for that risk. So what I think is, I
think this might be a Brandon Eckles makes the splash play.
Brandon Eckles is relied on a lot more, maybe plays
the most. He hasn't He's only had He's had those
couple of games where he played eighty three percent of
the snaps. Other than that, he's been more of a
bit player of the defense. I just have a feeling

(42:52):
he's going to be a He's going to be one
of the solutions as they try to do the secondary,
and he's going to show up somehow. Pick six would
be massive, but I don't know if I can I
don't know if I'm predicted pick sticks. That's going on.
Quit a limbit to say a pistick for Brandon, but
I'm speaking it, so I guess see now I'm tempering it.

(43:13):
So if it doesn't happen, So I didn't really say that,
But if it does happen, I'm gonna come in Monday
morning like gonna get a pick.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
Yes, all right, so we'll go echoes for you, and
those are our big ballers. Let's take a quick trip
to the college couch. Okay, let's jump on it. Hold on,
wait a minute. Oh god, it's so gross and sticky
for a cleaner.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
No, we can't do it. I need to stay bringing authentic.

Speaker 1 (43:38):
So we start tonight Memphis at Rice and I start
there because that race for the group of five team
to get into the playoff, Chris is hate and up.
It looked like it was gonna be South Florida. Then
Memphis comes in and just smokes South Florida last week.
Now Memphis is in the front runner seat as the
number twenty five team in the country. They're the only
group of five team ranked at number twenty five. But
you got Navy and you got two lane kind of

(43:59):
nipping at your heels. How great would it be if
Navy was the team that just got in As far
as the group of five was concerned, it just feels awesome,
I think. But it's actually a pretty intense race for
that last spot of the playoff between those teams, and
it means everything to those schools in a fan base
like that.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
It's also kind of crazy because you know the way
it goes. If Navy they have the selection show whatever
that'll be December fifth, whatever the day the day is,
and then so Navy might be undefeated and gets picked.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
To be in the playoffs, like then have to play Army.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
Play Army, then maybe lose or what you know in
the r Yeah, but in the crazy and then we
even crazier part is that Navy would would care more
about the Army game than making the play like like
that is actually would be more important to the cadets.

Speaker 1 (44:43):
Yeah, I would rather win that game for the bragging
rights they'd have military members and the opposite branches. Yes, Saturday,
big noon kickoff Penn State at Ohio State. Yeah, you
got no chance in this one, right, Please please are
your little surprises only an eighteen and a half point line.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Yeah, I feel like it should be like thirty eight
and a half point Yeah.

Speaker 3 (45:02):
Yeah, I'm surprised because I don't know what I saw,
Like the I think Penn State's point line for Penn
State side points is like seven and a half or something.
It's just like ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (45:13):
Yeah, you have no chance in that game. You know,
it would be so Penn State. And we'll talk about
this next week on the College Count, would be so
Penn State to beat Indiana though when they come to
Happy Valley and just kind of be like, what the
hell was that about?

Speaker 2 (45:23):
But I digress.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
You're not going to do it this week. Vandy and Texas. Boy,
if Vanderbilt can get past Texas, man, it sets up
everything for Tennessee at the end of the year, for
all the marbles and SEC Championship game birth potentially. But
even if they miss out on the SEC title game
a one loss, Vandy in that conference is going to
the playoff.

Speaker 2 (45:41):
They will be a wild card.

Speaker 3 (45:42):
Oh definitely. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
And the thing is is and Texas is eliminated of
the loss.

Speaker 3 (45:46):
Yeah, I feel like we've almost written Texas off now.
But if they win this. Yeah, they're right there contending
for the p on.

Speaker 1 (45:51):
They have one loss in the conference. That's a key
for Texas. They're still alive as far as that's concerned.
West Virginia place Houston, another local team. Boy Virginia so bad.
I can't believe Pit loss to them. Pitt plays Stanford.
I just need Pit to beat Stanford. They're like a
fourteen and a half point favorite. But I just need
them to bee seven and two for a couple of
weeks when Notre Dame comes to town, just to set
up that big time seven and two on seven and two.

Speaker 3 (46:12):
Matchup college game that could be could that would be
Notre Dame.

Speaker 1 (46:17):
Is at Boston College, speaking of them the Holy War,
You give the Eagles any chance in that rivalry. Notre
Dame is a thirty and a half point favorite in
that one. Boston College is so so miserable. Night games
Oklahoma at Tennessee both two loss SEC teams. They're probably
not gonna make it anyway, but they're for sure done
whoever loses this game.

Speaker 2 (46:34):
So there's a little bit of a playoff vibe.

Speaker 1 (46:35):
The Tennessee Oklay nolimination game for sure, and then game
day this week is going to the Big Twelve who
had that on their Bengo card. Utah hosting Cincinnati. Now,
I think Utah's pretty much done here. They already have
two losses in the Big Twelve. But since he's undefeated
in conference, since he only has one loss overall on
the season, we're talking about dream seasons.

Speaker 2 (46:55):
You're a Bearcat fan, you're pinching yourself right now.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
Yeah. Well, remember they had a fourteen playoff not that
long ago, so right, already they've had the disaster.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
Yes, look at the previous two high profile Cincinnati head coaches,
Brian Kelly and Luke Fickle.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
Where are they now? And look at the bear Cats?

Speaker 3 (47:13):
Huh Well, Mark D'Antonio had a pretty good run in
the Michigan state. So I mean he's retired, look at
him that yeah yeah, so yeah, it's funny like the
Big Twelve, I get you kind of wonder like I
feel like all those teams are like the same level,
and it's like who's going to make the title game
and win the game and get out of my birth
All right.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
Let's get off the couch.

Speaker 1 (47:32):
Oh god, all right, I'm gonna go to the bathroom
and hose off before our next break. When we come back,
we're going to talk about about Jonathan Taylor. We talked
about him earlier in the week. He's the main threat
for the Colts. But I have a strategy that I
think can be quite effective against him, so i'll reveal
that next.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
It's Tom Offerman.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
It's Chris Damsky on the Steelers Blitz on Steelers Nation Radio,
part of the Steelers Audio Network.